TimeDance Adventures
by MissUnashamed
Summary: Based off of information given to the fandom by Greg Weisman, this story will cover the majority of Brooklyn's Timedance. Including how he met Fu-Dog, his courtship with Katana, many battles, new clans and the hatching of Nashville. Leave me a review and let me know what you think. :)
1. Chapter 1 - Xanadu

** Xanadu, China. 599 AD. Sui Dynasty.**

Brooklyn rose shakily from the ground, surveying his surroundings. The Phoenix had dropped him on a shallow slope veiled with yellow grass. The moon illuminated small hills along the horizon. But other than the lumps in the landscape, he saw nothing. No trees, no humans, no water, no cities. No Manhattan. Only an empty landscape met his gaze. He sat upon the ground, pressing his folded talons against his forehead. He had left Mary and Finella in Saratoga Springs, only miles away from home. Alas, the time was in the late 1970's. He was with the two women for two weeks, long enough to teach them about the modern world and then was whisked away again by the Phoenix. And now he was in the middle of nowhere, with only a Scottish Broadsword hanging from his belt. He clenched back tears of grief, longing for his clan. He had been on this journey for about a month and anguish was slowing overtaking him. In Scotland and Saratoga Springs he had work to do to distract from the pain, but now he was alone in the wilderness, his woeful thoughts haunting him.

_ I miss them. I don't know when or where I am and I just want to go home. I can't take- STOP! Brooklyn, if you're going to make it through this you can't think like this. Put aside the emotions and be logical!_ He snapped himself to attention and stood up, observing the land. The gargoyle stretched his wings and took to the skies. Upon reaching a sufficient altitude, he looked about. Looking a mile East, he spotted some kind of herd and soared in their direction. He lifted his head to the heavens, hoping to discover the time and location based on the night sky. A sheet of thick, oncoming waves of clouds obscured the sky. He swooped in towards the creatures and landed in the yellow grass. He discovered that the herd was a strange mix of goats, water buffalo, Bactrian camels and gargoyle beasts. Being guarded by four brawny gargoyles.

_Gargoyles! _Brooklyn approached and called out to them, starting to run.

"Hey! HEY!" The nearest gargoyle- jade in color with black hair reaching her hips- leveled her staff defensively. The tall indigo male next to her made a clicking noise to the herd. Brooklyn approached and called out again. He was now yards away.

"Hey! Who are you? Where am I?" The jade gargess snarled and yelled in response.

"STOP! Do not approach!" Brooklyn ignored her and continued to sprint forward, only to be tackled from the side by a dragon-like gargbeast. Its body stretched a yard long, matched with burly whisker-like tendrils extending from behind the nostrils and pronged horns. The beast snarled, eyes glowing red and the jade gargess appeared above it.

"Enough, Táng. Good girl." She cooed, stroking the beast while holding her staff defensively. She turned to Brooklyn, her eyes glowing red. "Why are you here? And why were you gliding?" Brooklyn gulped and tried to pull away, but Táng placed a clawed paw on his shoulder. She growled lowly.

"My name is Brooklyn. I'm lost, I don't know what time it is and I was looking for other gargoyles." The indigo gargoyle popped up behind the gargess and whispered to her. He wore armor, a strange hat and had a gray beard that dropped from his chin in tendrils. The female whispered back, her voice barely audible. Brooklyn observed them. He examined the features of the gargoyle beast, still perched over him. _This beast looks familiar. Where have I seen it before? _He looked at the female's clothing. She wore a small cream dress with a light floral design and a silver dragon pendant around her neck. _Those clothes are familiar too. I saw them one night._Then the memory came back to him in a flash.

Broadway had wanted some noodles. So the trio flew to Chinatown in Manhattan. The gargoyle beast resembled the dragon décor and the gargess was wearing a cheongsam like the ones displayed in the shops. _Jalapeña. I'm in China._ He raised his head from the ground, hoping to get a better look at the gargoyles. Táng responded with another snarl and Brooklyn returned his head to the ground. The indigo gargoyle glanced at the strange, crimson gargoyle and Brooklyn took this chance to speak.

"Listen- I know that I'm som- OUCH!" The jade female had whacked him across the head with her staff and leaned in to scold him.

"Do you know nothing of hierarchy? You do NOT speak directly to the elders, only to moderators like myself." She stood upright. "Surely you know this, you possess a name as well." _Name? Moderator? Wait… If I'm in China, they must be speaking Chinese. How do I understand them?_

"I'm sorry. That was… very rude of me. So… moderator: Please answer my questions. Where am I, exactly? What year is it? And why do my name and gliding matter?"

The moderator relaxed to some degree and clicked her tongue. Táng stepped off of Brooklyn and sat patiently as her mistress spoke.

"You are in the territory of the Xanadu clan, it is the Sui Dynasty by the human's count. Your name indicates that you have high status. That is the way of all clans in China." She curled her face into a scowl. "And you're a fool to be gliding tonight. The typhoon season has come, the first storm is over yonder!" She pointed to the thick clouds, rumbling ominously in the distance. She indicated for him to stand. "You shall take shelter with our clan. It is not safe out here."

She turned and consulted with the indigo elder. He nodded and continued to walk, leading the bizarre herd. Brooklyn followed, feeling excessively awkward. He was the only gargoyle with a weapon; the only one who did not know where they were going and he had just been humiliated by the clan's moderator. He walked alongside the gargess.

"You mentioned the Sui Dynasty. That doesn't make sense to me. Do you know what year? Like in BC or AD?"

She thought for a moment. "You mean the Roman calendar? The one that the Westerners use?

"Yes, yes! That one!"

"It is 599 years after the Death." She threw him a confused glance. "How do you not know the time? Or about the typhoon season?"

"I'm not from around here." Raindrops were starting to fall, battering against his beak.

"You are a Westerner? Do you wish to trade with us, like the Korean clans?" She spoke louder, as the wind was picking up.

"Trade what?"

"Gargoyle beasts, of course. Or livestock. That is our primary purpose in the Xanadu clan. We raise and protect our herds. Few other clans have such fine selections."

They continued to walk; various sounds emerged from the mass of animals, distressed by the sudden downpour. The other gargoyles walked in silence, each had gargoyle beast walking right next to them, occasionally nipping at wandering goat.

"Moderator-?"

"I am called Bo. Us moderators also have names."

"Right. Okay, Bo. We're speaking Chinese, right?" She shot him a bewildered glance.

"Yes. Have you come by some sort of magic?"

"...Yeah, I kinda did. How did you know?"

"You don't know your location, the dynasty and your pronunciation is off, even for a foreigner. You must have come by some form of magic."

"Have you ever heard of the Phoenix Gate?"

"There are legends of it, mostly stories brought by traders. It is said that it cannot be contained by the walls of time, it's powers can translate language for its traveler. But the Phoenix Gate is controlled by the traveler, how did you not know that it would bring you here?"

"Long story, but the gist of it is that I'm from the future, my clan leader tossed the Phoenix into oblivion and now for some reason the stupid thing has me running around the globe at different time periods."

"This may be for a purpose." She shouted above the storm. "The village is on the top of this hill, the climb is steep. Brace yourself!"

The herd moved slowly up the large hill, occasionally a goat lost its footing, but one of the gargoyles was always there to help it up. Brooklyn noticed grooves carved into the side of the hill, water tunneling down into the valley. After twenty minutes of arduous climbing, they reached the top.

"Wow..."

Brooklyn saw an old abandoned village, now occupied with gargoyles. Other herds occupied canopied arenas, gargoyle beasts guarding the livestock. Gargoyles were bustling about, putting last minute touches on fences, carrying buckets of milk and tending to gargoyle children inside the huts. Bo helped guide the buffalo and camels into a sturdy pen, separate from the goats and sheep. Immediately, several male adolescent gargoyles jumped in the pen and feed the animals large bales of straw, bringing buckets to milk the females.

Bo smiled and patted Táng, the beast purred with pleasure. She turned to Brooklyn.

"Well, then, Brooklyn, let me give you a tour." She indicated him to follow and started towards the center of the village.

"See the crevices in the ground? It is to prevent our village from flooding during a typhoon. And if you look carefully, along the outskirts we have erected large posts, to keep lightning away from the animals. If you look inside the huts, you will see that many of our animal caretakers are busy preparing cheese to be set out in the daylight. Dairy has become part of our staple diet, as well as the rice and grains that we feed to the animals. If an animal becomes too old or is sick beyond recovery, it becomes food for our beasts."

She indicated a hut with a warm light glowing from within.

"This is our safest hut. It is sturdy and is the only one with lamps. We keep our scrolls and documents here. Because it is well protected, we also let the infants nap in there." Brooklyn looked in to discover crates, presumably filled with scrolls, and little one-year-old gargoyles sleeping beneath the watchful eye of two rookery mothers. "My mate and I contributed an egg to this year's generation." Bo declared proudly. She continued to a great stone well in the village center. Lying adjacent to the well was a stone pool. "This is our well and fountain. The well is used for drinking water and for the livestock. The young ones bathe in the fountain. Here is the storage hut; the well-slanted roofs prevent any water from penetrating and spoiling the cheese, grain and straw. And last, but not least, we have the meeting hut. Our four herding elders counsel with the four village elders here. By dividing up the leadership, we are led by eight wise leaders. This number brings luck."

Brooklyn, Bo and Táng took refuge beneath a canopy. Distracted from the storm, Brooklyn scanned the village, taking in every detail. He eventually turning to see Bo exposed in the light. Torches protected under the canopies illuminated her features. The gargess had two horn ridges above each brow, webbed ears hidden in her hair, a small nose and a two-inch strip was shaved down the middle of her head. Brooklyn took immediate notice of the strip.

"…Bo? Why is your head shaved?" She snickered and spoke to him, harboring a slight edge of inferiority.

"So that the clan members can identify a moderator from the back, of course. We all have it." A beige, beaked gargoyle approached Bo from behind, he lunged and wrapped his wings over her.

"NO!" Brooklyn lunged, pulling the gargoyle off of Bo, pinning him against the ground. The surrounding gargoyles looked around, frightened and whispered to each other.

"Get off of him!" She thrust Brooklyn from the other male. "He is my mate!" She helped the beige male to his feet. Táng made a bewildered grunt. The other beaked gargoyle rubbed his neck, and muttered something to Bo. She rolled her eyes and spoke aloud to him.

"He is of equal rank to you, my love."

"Hmm… Stranger, is it custom to attack an affectionate mate in your clan? I can assure you that it is not in ours."

Brooklyn gazed at the ground, thoroughly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry. That wasn't my best move."

"…Apology accepted. Now Bo, we have received more human news. The Lady of Ch'iao Kuo has wed. We don't know if it affects any human tribal boundaries, but we need to keep up to date on it."

"I am not surprised. With word of her excellent leadership, it was only a matter of time."

Brooklyn's face betrayed his befuddlement. He spoke out.

"I'm sorry, how do you guys know all this? And why?" Bo smiled, somewhat embarrassed.

"Moderators are selected from clan scholars. My mate is of a lower rank, but he is an excellent scout. We find it beneficial to know what the humans are up to."

The crowd began to disperse. Táng departed from the group to meet an orange, male gargbeast. Bo whispered to her mate and quickly stroked his raven hair. He returned the gesture and departed.

Brooklyn looked around anxiously, embarrassed by the encounter. He heard the bleating of a goat, and quickly changed the subject.

"Bo? How do you say 'goat' in Chinese?"

"How to say it? You just said it!"

"I know, it is the Phoenix's translation powers. But I don't want to rely on magic. Teach me."

"Alright, goat." She stated.

"No, I heard it in English. Try again."

"You speak English?" she inquired, curious.

"Not the point, please try it again. Look at me and say it slowly." Brooklyn pleaded.

Bo turned and looked him straight in the eyes, speaking slowly, lips moving slowly.

"Shānyáng."

"YES! That was it! It's Shānyáng, right?"

"Yes, but I am not hearing you speak it differently."

"No matter, I heard it and I just said a word in Chinese! Another! Um… Camel!"

Bo looked directly at him again and uttered the word: "Luòtuo."

"Luòtuo." The gargoyle smiled. "Awesome."

"That is enough for tonight," Bo beckoned for Táng to her side. "Sunrise draws near."

She proceeded to remove a torch and put it out in the rain, extinguishing it.

"Bo, does your name mean something? And Táng's?"

"Yes, don't you hear the words in your language?" They walked towards the edge of the settlement.

"No, just the words in your language." The adolescents threw grain into the troughs, and proceeded to make a ring around the corrals. "What're they doing?"

"The younger gargoyles rest in the center of the village; safer on the inside and creating a protective barrier around the animals." They proceeded past groups of camels, water buffalo and gargoyle beasts. A great deal of gargoyle beasts.

"Bo, why are there so many gargoyle beasts?"

"We specialize is breeding and raising animals, including gargoyle beasts. We currently have 297 pairs of mated adults and 301 unmated beasts, adults and juveniles included." Bo and Táng led Brooklyn to the edge of the village. The other gargoyles and beasts had assembled for the imminent dawn. Brooklyn looked around and imitated the others in bending his knees and spreading his wings, creating a physical barrier around the gargoyle settlement. As the others yawned and peered towards the pink horizon, a sudden shriek pierced Brooklyn's ears. "HELP! We can't find her!" Before he could turn to the distressed cry, the sun rose and encased his body in stone.


	2. Chapter 2 - Xanadu

Upon breaking from his slumber, the gargoyle nearly choked as he yawned. A torrential downpour greeted the waking Xanadu clan. Recalling the call for help, he turned to find Bo and other moderators already rushing towards a young rookery mother no older than Brooklyn. Bo had already started to speak with the young female, speaking soothingly with her. As her small green figure quivered between sobs, she explained in hurried whispers to the moderators. After an anxious moment, Bo rose and rubbed her arms, pondering. Brooklyn approached in hopes of inquiring about the situation. As soon as his hand made contact with Bo's arm, she took off in a dead sprint towards the eight elders, waiting nearby. The crimson gargoyle stayed back, waiting along with the rest of the clan members. _Okay Brooklyn, remember the social order. You don't rank very high, you don't get to hear the news first. _Several small claws scratching at his feet interrupted his thoughts, and he looked down to see half a dozen juvenile gargoyle beasts. No more than a year old, the youngsters sniffed around his talons and occasionally pawed his legs, curious about the stranger, not the least bit bothered by the downpour. An involuntary smile crept across his beak, and Brooklyn reached down to pet the little gargbeasts. A couple of them sniffed his hands and arms, others growled and nipped his talons playfully. _Man, they're cute. And they're definitely Chinese beasts. _The juveniles resembled many of the statues and décor that Brooklyn had seen in Manhattan's Chinatown; they looked like miniature Chinese dragons and Chinese lion guardians. The gargoyle picked up a small blue beast and held it up to eye level, as the youngster gnawed on Brooklyn's talon. Brooklyn almost chuckled as he studied the lion guardian beast. _Strange, I've always thought that they look more like dogs than lions. _The juvenile had a small, black mane starting to grow in little tufts, and some sparse patches growing on the neck. He set the juvenile down and ran a talon along the back of a young, dragon-like beast. The baby arched it's back and gave a satisfied chortle.

The little gargoyle beasts suddenly turned to the clan elders, ears perked. Then babies turned about and ran back to the adult beasts, Táng at the front of the group. Brooklyn looked over at the elders to see Bo returning, shouting orders to the clan, her voice just barely audible over the rain. "A clan daughter is missing! Every mated pair that does not have duties in tending the livestock is to search for the child! Keep out of the skies, an injured gargoyle cannot aid in the search!" Every gargoyle took their mate and carefully ran down the hill, launching the search. Bo's beaked mate found her and twisted his tail around her's and the couple prepared to join the search party. Brooklyn ran to Bo and grabbed her arm. "Bo! Let me come!" The moderator turned and yelled above the rain "Stay here! You don't know the land!" Without another word, she pulled away her arm and carefully ran down and away from the village, her mate and Táng by her side.

Brooklyn stood for a moment, feeling utterly useless. _What good am I doing here if I can't help? Why else would the Phoenix send me here? _A taloned hand tapped on his shoulder. The crimson gargoyle turned to see a male his age standing behind him. His yellow skin tone was bright despite the dark night. He held his wings just above his head, blocking out the rain. The yellow male indicated a large hut behind him and spoke loudly to Brooklyn, raising his voice above the sound of the storm. "Friend, word has spread that you are new here. You must be hungry, come and have breakfast with us."

Brooklyn gave a nod of appreciation. "Thank you, friend. I'm most grateful." The two gargoyles quickly entered the hut and took shelter from the rain. Inside, the creamy aroma of fermented cheese and cooking grain greeted them. A dozen other gargoyles their age were gathered about the smoldering coals, on top of which was a covered pot. Several females were munching on cheese as their rookery brothers spooned grain into little bowls. The yellow male took a piece of cheese from the stack and seated himself with a group of females, one beige female in particular wrapped her arms around him and greeted him with a snuggle. Brooklyn could feel the pain hit, and involuntarily drooped his ears in sorrow. Eyes averted from the young couples throughout the hut, Brooklyn took several pieces of cheese and a bowl of grains. Not realizing his hunger until he took the first spoonful of boiled barley, he gulped down the gruel-like meal and began to munch on the crunchy chunk of cheese. As he sat and ate the sun-dried cheese, the young mated pairs continued in their affectionate displays. The thoughts of his old rookery sisters began to haunt him, then his thoughts drifted to Maggie... _NO!_ He thought sternly. _Brooklyn, you can't afford to think like this. You can't think about them. _With that thought, he stood up and walked over to the yellow male. "Thank you for your help, brother. The meal was delicious, but I think that I'll take a stroll outside." The beige female and her mate looked up at Brooklyn. The young male responded, "If you wish, brother. Stay safe out there." He rose and bowed to Brooklyn. The crimson gargoyle returned the bow, and left the hut to eat his cheese in the rain.

Standing in the rain, he watched the gargoyles open the gates to allow the livestock to leave the village and graze. Gargoyle beasts and young herders followed the animals into the stormy night. Brooklyn took another bite of cheese and crunched on the food. _Maybe a little hydration would help... _He extended his taloned hand to soak the morsel of cheese and was met with a high-pitched whine. The beaked gargoyle looked down and beheld a lion-like, green gargoyle beast with a dark brown mane. The beast was sitting nonchalantly, despite the heavy rain and looked steadfastly at the piece of cheese. Brooklyn raised an eye ridge. The beast whined again and looked at Brooklyn. "Begging? Really?" The gargoyle beast leapt up and snatched the cheese in its jaws. "Hey!" Brooklyn lunged after the beast, but the gargoyle beast took off. Brooklyn sprinted after the galloping thief, cold mud splattering all over his legs and tail as he ran. Soon the beast turned and stopped. Brooklyn's feet slid as he stopped, nearly losing balance. The beast deposited the cheese back into Brooklyn's talons and whined again. "What the-" he began. The beast circled behind Brooklyn and began to push Brooklyn beyond the village limits, past the storehouse. The mud provides no traction and Brooklyn had no choice but to slide wherever the beast was steering him. "Hey, hey!" He cried out, pushing his feet out, trying to slow down. Not a moment later he met the end of the mud and his feet stumbled over the soaked grass. The momentum flipped Brooklyn over and he landed flat on his wings. The gargoyle beast didn't stop, and continued to nudge Brooklyn forward. "Stop! Wha-" Brooklyn stood to leave and the beast circled around again and began to whimper. _What does he want?_ "Okay, pal. You've got my attention. What's up?" He crouched, leveling himself with the beast. It perked up its tiny ears and took off running again, occasionally barking. Brooklyn ran, the mud on his feet and legs slowly dripping off as the rain splashed against them. For a few minutes the gargoyle beast continued until he made a slight turn and continued down a hill, stopping just before a ravine.

"So- *huff*- what is- *huff* it?" Brooklyn panted as he stopped next to the ravine. The beast whimpered again and looked down into the ravine. Brooklyn looked down as well, and saw a tiny clump of mud moving about at the bottom. The gargoyle beast continued to whine and leaned further down into the pit. The tiny lump turned and looked up, rain splattered against the little face. It was a child.

The gargess couldn't have been more than a year old. Her jade skin was caked with mud and pieces of stone from her sleep still hung from her skin. Her tiny beak was barely above the pool of mud and more run-off was sliding down the ravine walls and collecting at the bottom. Brooklyn looked around, surveying the situation. The ravine walls would be easy to slide down, but the flowing mud would make scaling the walls nearly impossible. Gliding wasn't option in a ravine. He felt a sudden pressure on the end of his tail, and turned around. The crimson gargoyle saw that the beast had placed his front paws on his tail.

"Alright, don't let me fall. I'm counting on you, buddy." Brooklyn inched forward and gently slid a few feet down the ravine wall, his chest dripped with mud. The young gargoyle seemed to squeak and reach upward. "Da!" The little female called. "Hang on, kiddo." Brooklyn reassured, sliding a little further into the pit. His toes just barely clung to the ravine's edge and the gargoyle beast still held tightly to Brooklyn's tail. As he reached for the child, Brooklyn came to the realization that he couldn't reach the little female. She was still a couple feet out of arm's length. _Uh oh. Darn it. So close... _his rain-soaked mane fell into his eyes and Brooklyn used his wing to flip the hair away. He stopped; it was if the idea had hit him upside the head with a baseball bat. _DUH. C'mon, Brooklyn!_ He extended a wing down to the gargoyle toddler and laid the membrane on top of the muddy pool. "Little one, climb on." He said soothingly.

"Dah!" The child squeaked, as she waded over to the wing and attempted to crawl up. The little gargess was slick with mud and nearly slid off. Brooklyn curved his wing at the last second, capturing the young one in a makeshift net of sorts. He slowly lifted his wing back up and slid the little female into one of his arms.

"Alright, pal!" Brooklyn called out. "Help me back up!" As the crimson gargoyle attempted to pull himself up with his toes, the gargoyle beast leaned forward and took a mouthful of loincloth in its jaws and tugged. Soon enough Brooklyn had hauled himself out of the ravine, tiny gargoyle in tow. The child curled up against her rescuer, suddenly bombarded by rain and wind. "Dad, Dad." She said over and over. Brooklyn looked down in surprise as the child snuggled closer against him. "Dad." She said again. The mud was being washed off of her little body by the vicious rain. Brooklyn held the small gargoyle close and began to walk slowly back to the village, the gargoyle beast walking alongside him. _I forgot what this was like, the affection that I received as a rookery father. _He wrapped his wings around his front, shielding the gargess from the downpour. Cold drops of rain began to spill from his mane, his hair completely saturated with water. The gargoyle beast was also thoroughly drenched, and occasionally stopped to shake the water from his mane.

Upon reentering the village, Brooklyn found that there were very few gargoyles around. He walked past the empty corals and vacant huts, deciding to return to the hut where he had acquired breakfast. He was greeted by a multitude of rookery sisters, chattering with excitement and relief. The young one was taken by a nursing gargess, who took the child to return her to her peers. Several males left to inform the search parties of the good news. Brooklyn was left to a near empty hut, with the persistent company of the lion-like gargoyle beast. A few mated pairs remained to chat with Brooklyn, inquiring about his rescue of the little one (not one among them imagined that the child would have escaped through the busiest part of the village unnoticed). All through the conversation, the beast remained inside the hut, despite the gradual return of herds and other beasts. Instead of going to greet his kin, the gargoyle beast laid his head down beside Brooklyn and took a nap.

The young mated pairs soon left Brooklyn, having heard all of the details of the rescue. Brooklyn leaned back against the hut wall and gently patted the gargoyle beast on the head, and began to pet the sleeping beast. _Well, this is nice. Kinda like petting Bronx. Granted, he is in the weird, enchanted sleep right now. _Brooklyn shook his head again, attempting to shake away the thoughts of his clan. He knew that only misery would ensue if he kept thinking about his home, far from his reach in the seas of time. He continued to pet the beast in his reclined position, allowing himself to relax. After a while, he allowed his eyelids to flutter shut, and napped to the sound of rain pounding against the roof.

"Brooklyn?" A feminine voice awoke him. The gargoyle beast was awake and greeting Táng, while Bo tapped on Brooklyn's shoulder. Brooklyn stretched his wings and stood up. "We've been informed of your actions." Bo stated.

"Yeah?"

"Some of the elders are outside, they wish to thank you."

Brooklyn yawned and followed Bo outside, the green beast and Táng following.

Six of the eight elders were present outside of the hut. Two were female, four male. The elders gave a shallow bow to Brooklyn and the indigo male from earlier stepped forward and said, ""One child can influence the fate of an entire clan. Our posterity are our future; same as with all creatures. You may remain with us until your fate leads you elsewhere." The elders gave another shallow bow and turned to leave. As they left, Brooklyn turned to Bo.

"So… what was that?" he asked.

Bo raised her staff again and gave Brooklyn a good whack on the arm.

"HEY! What gives?!"

"You show no respect!" Bo hissed with glowing red eyes, "They spoke to you DIRECTLY. Can you not see how grateful they are? They showed you the highest of hospitality and you act as if it was nothing!"

Bo turned on her taloned heel and left, Táng by her side. Brooklyn rubbed his arm and crossed over to the corals. Ears drooped; he stared glumly at the livestock. _Yikes. This clan is so different. I didn't mean to offend anyone. _He watched as a small, caramel-colored goat approached and sniffed at his knees. _Well, that's cute. _The goat began to nibble on his toes.

"Ow! Okay, okay, less cute!" Brooklyn pulled his foot away from the cheeky goat. The gargoyle beast appeared beside Brooklyn and growled at the little goat. The little animal fled from the fearsome beast.

"Well… thanks pal." The beast sat down and wagged his lion tail happily. Brooklyn returned to watching the livestock. Still scanning the multitude of animals, something fluffy touched his ankle. Turning around once more, Brooklyn saw that the beast's tail was slowly twitching against his leg. The gargoyle beast looked pleasantly up at the gargoyle. The beast let out a soft whine and nuzzled against Brooklyn's leg.

"It would seem that he has imprinted on you." The yellow male appeared next to Brooklyn.

"Oh, hey. Yeah, he hasn't left me alone."

"You should tell Bo about that."

"Nah, she isn't too happy with me right now. Might bite my head off."

"Ah, yes. I saw that. That was rather unwise."

Brooklyn turned to look at the male. He raised an eye ridge, mildly annoyed.

"Thanks," his voice dripped with sarcasm. The two stood silently for a moment. "So, where's your mate? You guys were connected at the hip just a second ago."

"She is tending to the hatchlings. And she isn't my mate."

"You two aren't mates?"

"Well, close. We're planning to have our mating ritual after the storm season has passed. It will be our night of honor, we would prefer not to be drenched."

The yellow male hoisted himself over the fence and gestured to Brooklyn.

"This evening it is my responsibility to check up on the animals, make sure that they're all healthy and free of parasites. If you're without occupation, you may join me." Brooklyn hopped the fence, leaving a whimpering gargoyle beast behind. The yellow male turned around and clicked his tongue at the beast, without avail.

"Bo did that too, what are the beasts trained to do when that happens?" Brooklyn asked.

"The noise indicates that they are to be calm. You try it, he may respond better to you." Brooklyn clicked his tongue in a similar fashion, and the gargoyle beast ceased his whimpering and sat calmly. Brooklyn smiled with satisfaction.

"Like I said before," the male restated, "go talk to Bo about him. You two have a very real bond."

Occupying the next few hours, he was taught by the yellow male how to safely remove ticks from animal fur and how to check livestock for cuts or infections. The rainfall began once more, but much more light. The scent of drenched animal fur and the calls of livestock were surprisingly soothing. _I haven't been able to do anything like this lately. Scotland and Saratoga definitely didn't offer the same clan experience as this. I miss these domestic tasks. _Bringing back memories of his own clan, the crimson gargoyle granted himself the opportunity to reflect on his home. _Couldn't do this in Manhattan. I wish the guys were here. Bronx would have the time of his life here; so many animals to chase, the wide-open spaces to run free in. _His ears drooped involuntarily; a sorrowful weight buried itself in the pit of his stomach. _Freedom. That's what the Phoenix took. I was __happy.__ Well, to some extent. Maggie, Angela, Delilah had-. Darn it, Brooklyn! You're moping again! You can't keep thinking like this if you want to get home. _

"You seem troubled, friend." The young male observed, plucking ticks from a camel.

"It isn't important."

"A sad shānyáng bears bitter milk." He stated nonchalantly. Brooklyn rolled his eyes.

"Then how do you make the shānyáng happy?"

The yellow gargoyle looked at Brooklyn, somewhat amused that the stranger understood the analogy.

"A lonesome shānyáng is a sad shānyáng, traveler."

"Why make the shānyáng lonely in the first place?"

The male shrugged as he threw the ticks into the mud, covering them up and drowning the parasites.

"Many reasons. The elders are the ones in charge of those matters. Sometimes it is for the communal health, so that two males do not fight or even so that a female can become ready to breed. Loneliness can often be a solution." The yellow gargoyle looked up at Brooklyn, a wise gleam dwelt in his eyes. "But in every instance, we do not do what the shānyáng wants. We never do."

"And why not?"

"If we yielded to the will of the shānyáng, then they would never be separated. If they were never separated, none of these benefits could be reaped." The yellow gargoyle returned to plucking ticks, but continued to speak. "We only cause the shānyáng temporary discomfort for the improvement of the herd."

"You've taken the gargoyle way and applied it to agriculture?" Brooklyn inquired.

"It isn't just the gargoyle way; it is the way of life. It occurs in many species. Even the most uncivilized of humans are born with this knowledge. Whether or not they practice it is up to them."

Brooklyn said nothing. He returned to examining the legs of the livestock, pondering the philosophies that he had just heard. _The way of life… All are born with that knowledge… For the good of the herd… _Reflections continued to swim about in his mind. They continued in their work, Brooklyn especially hardworking. His talons did the work automatically as he continued to think.

"Brother…" yellow talons tapped in the crimson gargoyle's arm. Brooklyn turned from the ewe that he was inspecting.

"Yes, friend?" He responded.

"Let us go to supper; dawn will be upon us in a couple of hours and the rain has returned." He stated, pulling his lemon wings over his head. The small drops were growing steadily, and Brooklyn readily agreed. Once more, the enthusiastic gargoyle beast greeted Brooklyn as he jumped the fence. He wagged his tail merrily and rubbed against Brooklyn's leg the entire way to the dining hut. As they entered, an immense array of cheese, grain dishes and a roasted goat were laid out for the clan to partake of. Brooklyn approached the remains of the goat, and looking about, saw that beasts and gargoyles were chewing happily on the roasted meat.

"I thought that only the beasts ate the meat?" He asked the yellow gargoyle.

"When the storms come, warm shānyáng is a welcome treat. We don't eat them often, but they're certainly a popular choice." He stretched forth his arm, indicating the crowd; even the little hatchlings on the floor were nibbling on little bits of cooked meat.

"Can't complain, I'll admit it smells awesome!" Brooklyn tore two pieces of meat from the bones. He began to eat the soft meat and gave the other strip to the loyal beast that followed him relentlessly.

"How long do you plan to stay with us?" The yellow gargoyle inquired, helping himself to some shānyáng meat.

"Well… I didn't come here by an orthodox method."

"The Phoenix Gate brought you, right?"

"Forgot how quickly clan news spreads." Brooklyn chuckled.

"That it does, even in one of our size." The yellow male stated, laughing light-heartedly.

"Then if you know that, you have to understand that the Phoenix isn't giving me any choice in my travels. When it comes, I go." Brooklyn explained with a melancholy tone to his voice.

"I see. Then know before you leave, that the clan appreciates your actions. Also know that I have enjoyed our conversations. It was an honor to meet you." His tone and expression grew solemn.

The rock of grief fell into Brooklyn's stomach again. Though there were no flames to transfer him to another time and place, Brooklyn felt the full force of the farewell. The grief was not dulled by experience, but rather the strike of woe grew each time. Each time he had hoped to return home, and each time he had been tossed somewhere new. And each time, he grew to care for the beings that he came in contact with.

"Thank you, friend. I deeply appreciate your company and the wisdom that you have imparted to me."

The yellow male bowed, his black hair tumbled over his shoulder as he did so. Rising up, his eyes caught on something over Brooklyn's shoulder. The crimson gargoyle followed his friend's gaze and saw the yellow male's mate-to-be and Bo were engaged in conversation.

"I think that it would be best that I go and greet my love before sunrise," he stated. "And now would be a good time to speak to Bo, surely she has calmed since your last encounter."

"Lead the way."

Both of the males wove their way through the crowd of gargoyles, the gargoyle beast still happily following Brooklyn. The young male stroked his mate-to-be's hair and she turned to him, her eyes fluttering flirtatiously. She turned back to Bo momentarily.

"Please excuse me, Moderator. It would appear that this suitor is seeking my attention." She got up and the two lovers departed into the crowd, chatting amiably as they went. Brooklyn took the moment to sit down beside Bo.

"Bo, I would like to apologize for what I did earlier. I see now that my actions were rude."

"Your apology is evidently sincere. I accept it, and will let the elders know that you understood their gratitude. " She responded kindly.

"Sometimes I forget just how important one goat is to the clan."

"'Goat'?"

"Oh, no, no. I meant child. I was talking with someone about a goat analogy earlier."

"Yes, I understand that, but what is 'goat'?" She asked. Brooklyn suddenly made the connection. _That's right, the Phoenix won't keep translating for me. I remembered to say goat in Chinese earlier, but I have to get into the mindset of speaking their language around them. _

"I mean, shānyáng. I forgot that the Phoenix would only translate what I don't know."

"And when the Phoenix comes to whisk you away, will it translate all dialects that you encounter?"

"To the best of knowledge, yes. I really- oof!" The gargoyle beast had grown bored and flopped itself on Brooklyn's lap, yearning for attention. Bo giggled at the beast's stunt.

"It would appear that he has grown quite attached to you." Bo stated. Little hatchlings that had finished their dinner approached the strange gargoyle and the silly beast, watching the strange duo interact.

"No kidding! He hasn't left me alone since we met." Brooklyn tried to roll the gargoyle beast off of himself, the hatchlings giggled at his droll attempts to remove the pesky beast.

"It would seem that he has imprinted on you." Bo observed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Brooklyn grunted as he finally got the beast off of his lap, only to have the persistent animal climb onto his lap again.

"Sometimes a beast will inexplicably form an intense, trusting bond with one gargoyle. We don't know why, but we do know that the bond is to be cherished. You may take him with you when you depart. You saved a child with his help, and this is your reward. I have no doubt that you two will do great things together."

"So I'm stuck with him now?" Brooklyn asked, slightly taken aback.

The gargoyle beast paid the conversing gargoyles no heed, and sniffed at one particular hatchling. Brooklyn looked down and saw that the little beaked hatchling from the pit had approached the beast, and was patting him on the tail. The beast seemed amused and wagged his tail playfully for the hatchling to follow.

"He is yours. After all, one mustn't travel through the veils of time alone." Bo reached over and picked up the beaked hatchling, placing her in her own lap. The jade rookery mother tickled the jade hatchling, causing the child to emit a series of delighted squeaks and giggles. Brooklyn smiled and looked down at the beast that he would now call his own.

"Bo?" he asked.

"Yes, Brooklyn?" she answered, still tickling the little gargess.

"Would it be alright for me to name him? I don't know what your customs are."

"He is your companion. I have named mine, you may do as you see fit."

The beast looked up at Brooklyn and wagged his tail contently.

"Back home, they call statues of you guys 'fu-dogs'. What do you think, buddy? You like it? Fu-Dog?"

The green gargoyle beast began to pant happily and wag his tail even more vigorously.

"I think that he likes his new name." Bo smiled, putting the hatchling down. Bo's mate appeared and squatted by her side, greeting her with a warm embrace.

"Dawn will be here momentarily, my love. Might I escort you to the edge of the village?" he whispered to Bo.

"Certainly. Brooklyn, Fu-Dog, care to join us?" Bo asked.

Several rookery mothers came to gather up the hatchlings and lead them back to their hut, Fu-Dog affectionately sniffed each child as they passed.

"Absolutely," Brooklyn replied. "C'mon, Fu-Dog." The gargoyle beast stood up happily and followed his gargoyle out of the hut. Dozens of gargoyles walked before and behind Bo and Brooklyn, all proceeding to the rim of the settlement. At least one hundred gargoyles were already waiting for the sun to appear when they reached the edge of the village, having just secured the animals in the corals. Moments later, the familiar pink glow peaked over the horizon, and all of the beasts and gargoyles were frozen in their defensive positions, guarding their home.

As Brooklyn's body emerged from his stone slumber, he was not met with the familiar darkness of this night, but a brilliant glow met his eyes. He heard the nervous chattering of other gargoyles before he fully understood. But on ground, mere meters away from him, was the Phoenix Gate. His brief stay in Xanadu had come to an end.

Brooklyn turned to Bo, Táng and Bo's mate. No words escaped his beak, but Bo understood and bowed to him. Bo's mate followed the gesture and gargoyles all around silently bowed to Brooklyn, including the yellow male and his love, further down in the line of gargoyles. Brooklyn returned the bow to the clan and whispered to Bo, "Thank you all. Thank you all so much for your kindness." She smiled knowingly and nodded to him. Táng grunted happily to Brooklyn, and gave Fu-Dog a friendly sniff. Brooklyn stood and gave a farewell wave to the yellow gargoyle. The young male and his love returned the wave.

_Well, time to get rolling. Can't take any chances with the Phoenix. _Brooklyn adjusted the broadsword on his belt, wrapped one arm around Fu-Dog and reached for the glowing medallion. Just as before, the Gate lit up before Brooklyn could reach it, and the magic token burst into flame. The magnificent, fiery bird appeared from the Gate and cried, calling for the traveler. Brooklyn held tight to Fu-Dog as the two were raised up to the Phoenix's beak. The two unlikely travelers were engulfed in the supernatural flame, whisked away to another time.

**Author's Notes:**

First off, thank you guys for the support and reviews! I really appreciate it. Second, I do a ton of research on both the real location/time period as well as on what Greg has stated to be canon about the TimeDance. Hopefully this is evident in the writing.

NEXT CHAPTER: the real action begins. I'm excited! Also (***SPOILER***), Katana is coming soon!

**Important Timeline info: **Next chapter, Brooklyn will NOT be in the future. Greg has stated that Brooklyn visits the future TWICE before he meets Katana, and I will not be writing chapters on those visits. Why? Simply because there is so little canon information on the future in the Gargoyles Universe, that I do not feel that I have enough information to write anything about that far in their future.

Just keep this in mind: In between chapter 2 and chapter 3, Brooklyn and Fu-Dog will go to the future. Between chapter 3 and chapter 4, Brooklyn and Fu-Dog will go to the future.

Thank you. Now one final bit of information (actually a personal tidbit of information): In the Fall of 2014, I will be taking a hiatus of sorts. I'll be leaving for 18 months to serve a full-time mission. But not to worry! I'll be posting as many chapters as I can before I leave, and I'll continue to post Gargoyle fanfic chapters once I return. Thanks again for the continued support.


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